Van Hollen: No 'done deal' on tax cuts

A top House Democrat said Monday that Democratic leaders will not block tax cut legislation from coming to the House floor but underscored that his caucus still views it as “unacceptable” unless changes are made.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the outgoing chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the next top Democrat on the House budget committee, said yesterday on Fox News Sunday that Democrats are “not going to hold this thing up at the end of the day.”

Speaking today to NBC’s Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie, Van Hollen said that comment shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that passage is a “done deal.”

“As the Democratic caucus said, this bill in its current form is unacceptable,” he said, noting that House Democrats gave the compromise a thumbs down in a nonbinding vote last week. “It will come to the floor of the House in some form, and it will be open to changes.”

“The Democratic leadership in the House is not going to take the bill and put it in a drawer and say that we’re not going to have a chance to debate this issue,” he said.

A primary sticking point for most House Democrats who oppose the bill is a provision that would set the tax rate on pricey estates at 35%.

“I, individually, intend to vote against it if it’s in there” Van Hollen said of that provision.